DRO gets a lot of letters regarding quarter-mile racing versus 1,000-foot racing. Many of my peers in the elite press are confused as to why there are two track lengths at the same race and wonder why some cars race shorter distances than others. Given that Nitro Funny Cars are now going faster in 1,000 feet than they did in a quarter mile and Top Fuel cars are within a couple of miles an hour of going as fast as they did on a quarter-mile track,` is there any chance of a return to the quarter mile for all classes at NHRA national events?

PC: We realize this is an issue for many fans. The fact is we have great side-by-side racing at 1,000 feet and we’re happy with it. As we always do, we will continue to monitor the situation.

Could you please explain why the Pro Stock Motorcycle class is part of the TV broadcast yet the Pro Mod class -- which is arguably the healthiest of all NHRA professional classes with 30 entries or more at every race they attend and actually is the only pro class delivering new businesses as drag racing sponsors -- get little or no TV coverage at all?

PC: We’re glad our fans like Pro Mods; they also love our four professional classes. The Pro Mods are going to enjoy their own shows on Fox Sports 2 and we will continue to have Pro Mods at 10 events in 2016; we’re excited about that.

Is there any thought being given to reducing the number of events on the NHRA schedule?

PC: We’re the only motorsport that covers all four corners of the country and everywhere in between. We have 24 events that hit all of the important markets and along with the race teams, we think it’s about right.

Are any venues on the NHRA national event schedule in jeopardy? Will Topeka be on the schedule for 2016?

PC: As you probably are aware there is an ownership change going on at the Topeka facility. They have been keeping us up to speed and we hope to know more in the coming weeks. We hope that the Topeka event can be on the schedule for 2016.

Are there any specific goals you would like to accomplish in your tenure as the NHRA president?

PC: We want to continue the growth of the sport by introducing more people to our exciting sport and creating more passionate fans. We set forth our six key initiatives to do just that. The initiatives are (1) improve television; (2) increase sportsman participation and support member tracks; (3) expand marketing partnerships; (4) expand media coverage; (5) improve competition; and (6) new fan development. You’ve seen us make progress on many of these already and you’ll be seeing more.

What is the hardest job the NHRA president has?

PC: I don’t think about it in those terms. I really enjoy what I’m doing. I love the NHRA and I’m excited about moving the sport forward. We have an incredibly dedicated and devoted team and we all have the same goal in mind.